The Wilberforce FUNraisers were more than pleased with the results of their Wilberforce Community Sale on the May long-weekend. Kicking off summer events in the village, the new sale took place at the Wilberforce Curling Club. Billed as an opportunity to sell your “crafts, services or stuff,” there was a wide variety on offer, including jewelry, crafts, and fine baking, as well as opportunities to support local organizations and scour the yard sale tables for antiques and finds. ( I got a beautiful bone handled carving set. Thanks, Ann!)
The FUNraisers provided the tables free of charge, and ran a large yard sale table, also free of charge, but encouraged everyone to donate to the WFG (Wilberforce FUNraising Group) Bursary Fund in lieu of payment for items or tables. As always, those who came out to the event were more than generous, and the group raised more than $500 that day, enough to fund a bursary for one student this spring.
The FUNraisers are dedicated to the betterment of the Wilberforce community, with an emphasis on opportunities for the young. They want to see the children of the community reach their full potential, and to have access to whatever further training they need to accomplish that.

So this will be the third year that the WFG will award a bursary to one or more local students. The first year there were two bursaries awarded. One to a local student enrolled in an apprenticeship program, and the other to a local student going to college to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Both students said they used the funds for course-related equipment. Last year, a student received support for studies in nursing at Canadore College. Her first year was ‘stressful but very successful’ and she was glad she had the funds to help with the purchase of the expensive books for her courses.
The deadline for bursary applications is July 1 this year. The WFG Bursary is $500. It will be awarded to a local student or students who are graduating from high school this spring, and are pursuing a post-secondary program (whether it is an apprenticeship, at college or at university) in the coming months. Qualified candidates for the bursary must meet essential criteria: be from the Wilberforce area and/or attended the Wilberforce Elementary School, they can provide proof of enrolment in their post-secondary program and they will be willing to provide a progress report to the WGF at the end of their first year of apprenticeship, college or university.

Students interested in applying for the bursary can contact the WFG through Joan Barton at joan4196@gmail.com or at 705-448-3074. And dear reader, please, if you know a student who might fit the criteria and could use a hand, please, pass this information on.

Submitted by Joan Barton